Q1 figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) display a positive picture for UK auto manufacturing, with a 17.3% rise in production from the same period in 2020. However this improvement is considered artificial, as the industry was severely crippled by lockdowns that came into force in April 2020.

So far this year UK factories have turned out 374,864 cars. A total of 68,306 cars were produced in April of 2021, substantially more than the 197 vehicles produced during the same month last year, owning to most factories closing up as covid-related restrictions curtailed output.

A more realistic picture is painted when the figures from 2019 are factored. The total number of cars produced for the first four months of 2021 is 3.8% fewer than in April 2019. According to the Autocar, the news doesn’t get much better when you consider that five-year average production showed a 42% drop for April, coupled with a 31.1% drop in production within the first quarter.

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Still, even the grey cloud hovering over UK vehicle production has a silver lining. UK-based production for foreign markets seems to be progressing as well, with more than eight in every ten cars making its way into foreign soil, and 52.1% of those exports are headed towards countries within the European Union — a significant statistic as automakers were seen to take tough decisions following Brexit.

Electrified vehicle production is also on the rise. 22% of all UK-manufactured vehicles were either fully electric, plug-in hybrid, or self-charging hybrid cars. This represents a 33.1% improvement in comparison to figures from Jan-April 2019.

There are evidently still challenges to overcome, though. According to Mike Hawes, Chief Executive of SMMT, car manufacturers in the UK are still facing a significant challenge in producing vehicles, primarily due to the worldwide shortage of semiconductors. “While it’s good news that the UK is on track with its Covid roadmap back to normality, we still need strong domestic demand and, given we’re export-led, confident overseas markets to drive a recovery, both for the automotive sector and for the wider economy,” said Hawes.